Over 5,000 Instant Ramen Noodle Reviews Since 2002
Here’s one I found in a Project Ramen box! They’ve got quite an array of international varieties – good stuff! Use the coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount. Soyed beef? I’m guessing perhaps like corned beef? I really couldn’t find anything about it but that’s my guess. Let’s cook it up!
Here’s one sent by James from Lakeside, California – thank you! Wasn’t sure if I’d had this one however the other I’ve had from this range was udon with seafood flavor. Let’s toss in some chashu and give it a go!
A big thanks to Daniel over at www.exoticnoods.com for sending this one! I’ve been wanting to try it and mukbang it up for a while now (mukbang vid at bottom of the page), and here it is. I love tom yum. I’m curious though as the Buldak base has the heat, but it also imparts some sweetness as well. Interesting. I guess the correct route is to give it a try.
Found this one over at 99 Ranch Market recently. It was pretty cheap, so got a multipack. I’m pretty stingy when it comes to multipacks as generally I only need a single package, but most places have more varieties in multipacks and that’s vexing; I just want one but their single pack offerings and very limited. Sigh. Anyways, let’s give this one a go.
Here’s a neat one that arrived by way of Exotic Noods. This one has rice noodle – sounds like it may be a good one – let’s find out!
Well, it’s Wednesday…. A rainy Wednesday. Really like the universe to comply… Need to get out and walk but my poor little Mimi has a stomach bug which is keeping her home for the third day. So, here I am reviewing again. I’m so far ahead – don’t know when you’re seeing this one (September?) but it’s March 27th as I write this. Really need a break from reviewing as well as getting out of the house. Hopefully I’ll get to next week… Maybe this weeks? Getting my hopes up… Let’s try this one.
Okay so here’s another really huge multipack. If you want a ton of noodles and soup, this is the ticket for your. I’ve seen these many, many times, but for my birthday, my lovely wife Kit took me to a few Asian grocery stores and told me to go crazy – and I did. I went from having two varieties to having a slew – thank you, Kit!
Another find at HMart. Found the pack versions there as well. The packs were certainly underwhelming; both insofar as flavor and heat, however the noodle was pretty good. Let’s give this one a shot.
Found this one the other day at 99 Ranch Market. This one is interesting as the range is very easy to find here, however there was a lot of confusion whether it was another brand – Master Kang. Master Kang translates to Kang Shi Fu, and also has a little chef guy for it’s logo. I remember getting a phone call from a lawyer about it a long time ago asking my opinion on it. It’s been such a long time though that I’m guessing that whatever legal issues were involved are probably kaput at this point, so here we are. Soyed beef – is that like corned beef? Interesting. Let’s cook this stuff up.
I figured out – I’ve never reviewed the cup version of this one, nor the export version either. So, let’s do it!
Here’s another export version for the United States. Four cheese Buldak! What are the four cheeses you ask? Mozzarella, gouda, cheddar, and camambert. It says so in the ingredients. I’ve had the pack version of this and was very impressed. Let’s give the bowl version a try – time for a spin in the microwave.
So I’ve not reviewed this one in a long time. Way back when it was introduced, it had a black background, then changed to cheese colored to lessen confusion. That was back when the import version looked like the original Korean version with the Hangul text. Well, this is the current version for the US market. They’ve changed the recipe for a few of these and so curious about how this one is these days. Let’s find out. Oh – and by the way – this isn’t chicken flavored – it’s based on the spicy sauce you put on Korean BBQ chicken, so calling this chicken flavored is like calling Sweet Baby Ray’s beef flavored – but that explanation would really make for a long title. Ok let’s do this.
Recently, I reviewed the pack version of this one and the nice folks at Samyang also sent me the cup version! I’m curious what the difference is going to be, if any. This one’s going to take a spin in the microwave. There should be a mukbang as well. Made in South Korea and packaged for US market sale. Let’s get started!
I think I recently did another version of this a little while back – that’s usually means it’s been months. Anyways, pretty crazy here now what with Omicron – so I’ve gotten two emails from the kiddos school district saying be prepared if things get worse they’ll be back home with their school tablets again. That would be incredibly unfortunate; they get so much out of socializing. Then again I don’t want my kids getting sick. My son’s fully vaccinated and my daughter got her first one a day after her 5th birthday just before Christmas.
Here’s the second of the Artisan branded varieties I’ve come across recently. Neat flower pot style big cups with a ton of sachets within. I think I found this at Asian Family Market on 130th Aurora in Shoreline. Let’s check it out.
September 8th, 2010. That was the last time I tried this one – it was review #132. I’ve been reviewing instant noodles since then – it’s kind of crazy. I mean, over 11 years ago and almost 4000 reviews later, I’m still into reviewing instant noodles. Let’s revisit these – it’s not a re-review since in that amount of time, a lot of things can happen. For one thing, the packaging has changed. Another thing is that the same ingredients from suppliers may have changed. After 11 years, a lot changed in a product’s lifecycle. Let’s check this one out.
Getting down there! Almost out of these Thai Chef varieties. They’ve been pretty good, too! Let’s try this chicken pillow pack version.
Was nice how Thai Chef sent everything in cup and pack versions – lots of varieties to go through! Cups and packs usually are a lot different. Let’s give this duck flavor variety a try – in a cup!
Here’s one that came via Exotic Noods – check ’em out and use coupon code THERAMENRATER for a discount!
Here’s another one I found at Uwajimaya a couple days ago when getting some narutomaki. I think the last time I tried this it was called Umami Tonkotsu. Anyways, ;et’s give it a go!
Here’s a new one from Thai Chef. A chicken cup noodle! No range is complete without chicken in most cases. Let’s check it out!
Here’s another Doll variety I’ve not had in what seems like millennia. Spicy pork from Hong Kong? Sign me up! Let’s give it a try!
Time for some more Doll noodles! I reviewed these very early in my reviewing career and they definitely need another look. Since it’s been so many years, this one gets a fresh look. Let’s check it out!
I first found Baixiang products up in Richmond, BC a number of years ago. Good stuff – always like to try new ones they make. A reader mentioned this one – I’d seen it before, and I’d thought I’d bought the chicken one and the pork one, but instead I’d gotten two pork ones. Well, when asked if I’d tried it I decided to grab the chicken one. Only one pack this time though. Let’s check it out!
This one gets the USA tag since it is made in Japan but only for sale over here in this packaging. This comes by way of James from LAkeside, CA – thanks! So the charumera is the horn the little guy on the pack is holding up. The ramen guy would come to the neighborhood and toot that thing (kind of like the ice cream man playing Camptown Races) and you’d know to go get your noodles. Let’s check it out!
This one arrived in an Exotic Noods subscription box – check ’em out and use coupon code RAMENRATER15 for 15% off your order!
I constantly hear all this anti-Chinese sentiment coming from different places. Well, today I’m engaging in some noodle diplomacy. Pickled cabbage is tasty stuff. There are so many neat flavors that come from China that really need to be experienced by everyone I think. I mean one thing we all have in common – we all eat. This is definitely a bridge to understanding and happiness. Okay – let’s see if my belly is happy after sampling this one.
Pork bone soup is a particular favorite of mine – whether it be creamy tonkotsu or something more like this, I’m usually quite partial to these styled varieties. Let’s see what this one from China holds in store.
I found this at a large Asian grocery in Bellevue, Washington recently. It was the last one – I’m guessing part of a special promo for Lunar New Year. My guess is that this is going to be in the vein of the hot spicy stir fried noodles of South Korea, but in a Chinese way? I don’t know for sure, but it sounds interesting. Let’s give it a try!
I first tried Baixiang noodles a few years ago when I found the little elephant’s brand up in Richmond, BC on one of our early visits before it became a regular thing to do.
Ah ha! I knew I had more of these bowls! I walk by this every time I go to 99 Ranch Market but I don’t buy more because I swore I already bought all of them. Well, here’s another one. Bowl is a little dented (okay, a lot dented) but it’s fine. Let’s give it a try!
Another one of the trove of varieties from Kang Shi Fu I found over at the Edmonds, WA 99 Ranch Market. Let’s give it a go!
Okay, so you might be thinking – United States? Why is he marking these as United States? Well, they’re made in Hong Kong it seems, then they’re only distributor from what I’m seeing is in New York.
Here’s the last of the three new Big Bowl varieties Samyang Foods sent me. As you can see, they are big bowls. Also, you might be thinking ‘hey – this doesn’t look like a very South Korean variety!’ Well, this is what is called an export variety. Let’s take a look!
I’ve been doing a lot of spicy noodle videos on YouTube recently. There’s a particular one that I tried and just couldn’t handle. The main reason for this is that first off, it’s ultra spicy. The second was that I attempted it when I was sick with the flu. I mean hey – it was from Japan and I thought I should be able to handle it; never run into any spicy noodle from Japan that I found too spicy to eat.
So I did this review the morning that my daughter Miriam was born one year ago today. Happy Birthday, Miri! I thought I’s repost it with a little update.
Here’s another one from a reader named Colin from the east coast – thanks again! It amazes me how many varieties he can find from the other side of the USA that I can’t get here. Fascinating; you’d think you could get most things anywhere but apparently companies distribute different things in different places. Anyways, this sounds good – spicy beef! Let’s check it out.
As I’ve said in the past, I’m usually about 50 or so reviews ahead of myself. Well, today is the actual day our daughter Miriam will be born and by the time this comes out she’ll be close to two months old. Wow! It’s early in the morning – although it’s just a few hours away. Really excited! This one seemed interesting enough for a day of birth – Mexican pizza from Taiwan? I think a fiesta is in order; although I wish these were called Little Princess – but hey look at the title I think that works at least a little! Let’s check it out!
Here’s one sent to me by Colin – thanks again! So these have been a real conundrum for me for quite a long time. The little chef on the logo is definitely different from the regular Master Kong chef, but I can’t get to the bottom of the exact name of this brand and so it’s Master Kong?
I haven’t generally been a fan of abalone and chicken instant noodles. I’m crossing my fingers here though. Let’s give it a try!
